Our Lives
by DarkBelieverAnge
Summary: People were forced to separate. Life went on. Memories forgotten, but love kept pushing them through. She kept a low profile until her children became involved. Zack x Tifa one-shot. AU.


_**A/N: After a very long time, I was inspired. Completely AU. Usual disclaimers apply.**_

Revolution sparked and destroyed the world they knew. Families fought against each other. No one was safe in the division.

Even a young couple was torn. Their world was torn away by Shinra. The company had taken over the government and with their private soldiers, and they enforced stricter laws. Social classes once again separated and physical divisions existed in the neighborhoods now.

Tifa Lockhart, a country town daughter, had fallen in love in the city. She and Zack Fair, one such elite SOLDIER, met and grew infatuated. Neither denied their attraction. He asked her to marry him. But the clock struck midnight.

The coup occurred overnight. The president and council dead. No one was the wiser. Morning television announced regime change. Physical barriers, walls built around the sectors, was the first implementation. Then they reserved services for only a select few.

The top three "generals" in SOLDIER disappeared. Shinra panicked, sent out assassins, but no one was found.

It was the tenth anniversary of the event, and Tifa Lockhart kept working. The "national holiday" reminded everyone of their forced allegiance to Shinra. No one knew about the countless lives lost in attempts to regain independence. Their stories were untold. And they were the reason Tifa continued to work... Something had to change.

She couldn't help any cause. When she broke her shoulder in the first rising, she realized she couldn't fight any longer. She had another purpose to fulfill.

Twins, around the age of nine, played out in the streets while she worked in the bar. Her daughter was a combination of Tifa and her father, with brown hair and blue eyes. Their son... Had his father's black hair and her red eyes.

"Be careful!" Tifa called out to the street. The twins paused and ran up to their mother. Tifa hugged them tightly. "Talia and Silas..."

"We know, Mama." Talia gazed at her mother with those achingly familiar blue eyes. "We'll be fine."

"We're going to be at Barret's," Silas said. "Marlene wants to show us something."

"Come back for lunch," Tifa muttered. They nodded, kissed her on the cheeks, and ran out of the bar. She heard a chuckle behind her. Tifa turned and saw Angeal sitting at his preferred seat, right in front of the television.

"Guess they inherited his charms," Angeal commented. Tifa rolled her eyes and walked over. Angeal tapped the counter. "The usual, please."

Silas and Talia ran through the streets and alleys, traveling through the neighborhood with ease.

"I don't know why she always..." Talia started. "It's not like anything is going to happen. No one can get..."

Silas shushed her as they heard the patrol pass. They knelt by a dumpster as two Shinra cops walked past. Silas' eyes trailed after the cops and he looked at his sister. "She does it to make sure we're safe. Anything can happen. We both know that."

Talia shrugged and they resumed their walk. They heard other footsteps, and Silas shoved Talia into a small opening. Silas turned and he threw a garbage bag over his sister. Talia heard a click. She attempted to reach out. Silas ran in the opposite direction.

SOLDIER ran after him. Talia kept her hand over her mouth as she cried out. She heard him scream, "Never!"

Then it was silent.

* * *

Tifa and Angeal talked for a long while. Tifa saw the sun start to set and looked around. "They aren't home yet."

Angeal put his beer down. In an attempt to disguise himself, he constantly kept his black hair short and he used green colored contacts for his eyes. He looked out on the street, and came back into the bar, shaking his head.

Tifa mumbled and dialed Barret's number. "Hey, are Silas and Talia there?"

"What do you mean... Okay. I'm coming." Tifa slammed the phone down and growled. She grabbed her gloves and turned the lights off. She flipped the door sign to "Closed" and grabbed her keys. Angeal followed her.

"They normally take the alleys," Tifa stated. Angeal nodded and jogged ahead of her. "I'll..."

"I can be lookout," he whispered. He surveyed the first alley, and they slowly made their way around the route Tifa had taught her children.

When they got to the third alley, Tifa halted. Angeal noticed scorch marks on the pavement. Tifa walked over to an unusually high pile of garbage. She pulled at them and stopped.

"Baby, it's me." Angeal watched Talia crawl out and cry into her mother's arms. Tifa hugged her daughter tightly, and then glanced at Angeal. Talia cries grew less frequent.

"They... Took him, Mom. He's..." Talia paused. She squeezed her mother tightly. "Shinra."

"Describe them," Angeal ordered. Talia described standard SOLDIER uniform, and Tifa cursed. "Don't act rashly."

"I know how to deal with it," she growled. She motioned for Talia to climb onto her back. Talia did and held onto her mother. Tifa brought Talia to Barret's house. Angeal followed closely behind. When they got into Barret's kitchen, Tifa set Talia on the counter and found the first aid kit. She tended to Talia's cuts and bandaged the girl up.

Barret walked into the kitchen with Cid. Both men looked at Tifa. Her eyes brimmed with unshed eyes. Barret drew her away and she whispered her plan to him. His eyes widened when she finished speaking, and he shook his head quietly. "I... Don't know what to say. Anything you need is yours."

Tifa nodded and kissed her daughter. Talia looked at Tifa for a long moment. "Baby, I'll be back. Stay with Uncle Barret and Uncle Angeal will help the next few days."

Talia nodded. "I'm..."

"I love you," Tifa said fiercely. Talia hugged her mother. Tifa kissed the top of Talia's head. Barret nodded to Tifa as Tifa walked to the door. She hugged Angeal and whispered in his ear. He hugged her tightly.

Tifa walked out of the door. Talia ran after her, and Angeal caught Talia. Talia cried as her mother walked away.

* * *

There were very few things that could surprise the SOLDIER encampment anymore. They had successfully completed a coup, established new order, and suppressed any rival forces that attempted to overthrow them.

No one would ever suspect that a leader in the revolution movement would walk into the lobby.

Tifa Lockhart, one of the most wanted felons, walked into the lobby and talked with the receptionist. "Good afternoon. I would like to speak with Sephiroth, please."

The receptionist gaped at Tifa for a few moments. Tifa gazed back. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but he is no longer here."

"You must be mistaken," Tifa told man behind the desk. "Surely you know. He came back about five years ago, right? I mean... It isn't every day someone comes requesting an appointment with him. You really have gotten lazy with your security since I was here last."

An alarm sounded and Tifa leaned against the desk. The receptionist turned white. "Who are you?"

"You really don't know, do you? How is that you got the second most important job in this company without knowing who I am?" Tifa asked him conversationally. He blinked. "You must have known someone. You can't really be the face of the company if you don't know who you're not supposed to let it."

Five SOLDIER men walked toward the reception desk. Tifa looked at her watch and grinned at the low ranking men. She reached toward the desk and guns raised. Little red dots appeared on her chest. She rolled her eyes. The receptionist crawled under the desk. Tifa turned around, with her hands raised high.

"Ma'am, back away from the desk," one of the younger men told her. Tifa shook her head and then glanced to see who the highest ranking officer was. There was a woman, with a Turk uniform on, and Tifa recognized her.

"Cissnei," Tifa greeted quietly. The officers let Cissnei through the crowd, and the two women settled into silence for a few seconds. After Tifa was slightly less edgy, she looked at Cissnei. "I want to speak with Sephiroth."

"Sephiroth died three years ago," Cissnei told her. Tifa laughed outright. Cissnei's eyebrows rose and Tifa wiped tears from her eyes. "You think I'm lying?"

"I know you are," Tifa said. Cissnei crossed her arms. Tifa held her hands out. "I'm surrendering to you. Everyone's been looking for one of the top revolution leaders, right? Here I am. Take me."

Cissnei put cuffs on Tifa's wrists and they walked into a white interrogation room. Tifa looked around, assessed the room, and fought her chuckle. Cissnei sat her down, looped the cuffs to the table, which was bolted down to the concrete floor. Tifa saw the camera in the corner and looked at Cissnei.

"I get one person to call," Tifa told her. Cissnei raised an eyebrow. "I read it in your new constitution. If a "criminal" brings her or himself in, he or she gets one person that you are required to find. I want Sephiroth."

"What makes you think that Sephiroth will come to see you?" Cissnei asked. Tifa smiled. "He's too busy to even maintain relationships with his coworkers. What is it about you that he'll drop everything and run?"

"Where's the boy?" Tifa questioned. Cissnei blinked. "Where is the boy you brought in from the Sector Seven?"

Cissnei grabbed a tablet from the desk, punched in a few words, and looked at something on the screen and then at Tifa. Cissnei smirked. "He looks a lot like you."

"He's… yes, he does," Tifa stated. Cissnei scrolled down on the tablet and hummed a few seconds. Tifa waited patiently. "Where is he?"

"You're not authorized to know that information," Cissnei said. Tifa's fists clenched and Cissnei grinned. "I'd like to see you try. We'll get your request to the person you want to speak to… it may be a long while. I'll make sure he knows you're here."

Cissnei nodded and walked out of the room. Cissnei pulled out her phone and dialed Tseng. "Rumor was true. She's here… looking for Sephiroth and a boy we pulled yesterday."

Tifa waited a long time. Or what felt like a long time. It could've been minutes for all she knew. No one told her anything. She was alone in the room. She looked at the double mirror a few times and wondered if they were going to ask if she needed anything. Knowing Shinra, the answer was probably not.

Tifa closed her eyes and leaned against the back of the chair. She calmed her mind, and tried to search for a sign that someone she knew was coming. Nothing yet.

The door opened. She glanced and saw Tseng in the doorway. Her eyebrow arched. "You're not Sephiroth."

"He doesn't receive callers," Tseng told her. Tifa scoffed. "Why are you here? Didn't we have a deal?"

"Your cameras must be off, if you're talking to prisoners like that," TIfa noted. Tseng sat across from her, and Tifa stayed leaning against the back of her chair. "You've increased your security since my last visit. Who are you afraid of? Is the big bad wolf having an episode again?"

"The boy with you… who is he?" Tseng asked her. Tifa stiffened. Tseng smiled. "We've been asking him questions for the last day. He hasn't answered. He is very… difficult to extract information from. I would hate for him to experience our other questioning methods."

TIfa looked down at her cuffs and then at Tseng. He felt his sweat turn cold as she stared at him. "If you harm one hair on his head… if one molecule is out of place, I will burn this place to the ground."

"You don't have magic here, nor do you have your gloves." Tseng watched her fists clench. "He must be very important to you."

The door opened. Both of them looked and saw Sephiroth standing in the middle of the doorway. Tifa fought a relieved smile while Tseng looked confused. Sephiroth came over, tossed Tifa a key to her cuffs, and she released herself. Sephiroth gazed at Tseng for a long moment. Tseng shrank back in his seat.

Tifa touched Sephiroth's shoulder, and the silver haired man snapped his attention to her. He looked at her questioningly. She whispered, "Silas is here."

Sephiroth turned to Tseng. Tseng backed out of the chair, needing to take steps away from the furious expression. "Why is he in your confinement? That boy is under my protection."

"What's so special about him?" Tseng retorted. Sephiroth took a step toward Tseng. Tifa put herself between the two men. Tseng watched incredulously as she whispered something to Sephiroth and Sephiroth eased his stance. Tifa turned to Tseng.

"My son, please," she ordered. Tseng blinked a few times and then Tifa walked to the door. Sephiroth followed her and they walked down the hallway. Tseng walked after them quickly.

"You needed to use that favor for an emergency," Sephiroth muttered without moving his lips. Tifa kept her gaze ahead. "I can't help you after this. They've got me on tight supervision. I can't sneeze without a doctor asking for tests."

"How's your health?" Tifa questioned. Sephiroth gave a discreet shrug. "You need to be careful. If you get too close…"

"That's why I have you on the outside," Sephiroth mouthed. Tifa met his eyes. "I know you and your friends can stop me. And probably save me."

Tifa nodded and looked back at Tseng. "Where is the boy?"

* * *

Zack Fair was standing in the break room when he noticed all the commotion. Sephiroth was walking outside of his room, and talking (more like ordering). Zack discreetly followed the general, not knowing what made the older man intrigued to venture out.

Sephiroth isolated himself after Genesis was found dead, and no one could console him. They were friends, but Zack sometimes suspected they were more. He did not know where his old mentor, Angeal, was, but Zack knew Angeal remained safe.

Zack watched Sephiroth walk into an interrogation room. He saw Tseng seated at the table, and words exchanged. His heart froze as he saw who stood up.

Tifa Lockhart, the owner of his heart. He watched her step between the two men, yell at Sephiroth, and then they walked down the hall.

He snuck along after them, curious about the events. He saw Tseng open another interrogation room. Tifa was held back by Sephiroth, though she appeared to try rushing forward. Zack saw Tseng disappear in the room. He reappeared a second later with a boy. The boy ran to Tifa.

Tifa sank to the floor and sobbed into the boy's shoulder. The boy hugged her tightly. Zack felt his heart hurt.

He saw Tseng try to approach them, and Sephiroth stood in front of them… as if to protect them. Unusual.

Tifa ran her hands through the boy's hair and she hugged him tightly. Zack saw the boy's hair color, very similar to his own, and caught a glimpse of red.

You have a son, he thought sadly. That's why you risked everything. You risked your life showing up to make sure your son was okay.

Tseng led them to the front of the building and Sephiroth turned to meet Zack's gaze. Zack flushed. Sephiroth walked over and whispered, "She's going to need help… I can't protect her after this."

Sephiroth walked back to his apartments, and Zack considered his odd words. Zack down the hallway and ran after her.

He'd said goodbye ten years ago. He wasn't letting her go this time. He needed to know how she was doing.

He followed her to the slums. He knew most of the old rebel leaders lived down here, and they would love to capture him.. but he was too seasoned in recon missions to get caught.

He was distracted this time, though. He followed them through alleyways and then they found their way to a bar. He grinned as she went into the front door, and the boy followed. He heard people screaming at their appearance, and he discreetly walked in the bar.

He froze when he saw the group. Barret, Angeal, and stood together, talking closely. Four children stood together, and Zack stared at a younger version of Tifa… with his eyes. He snapped his attention to Angeal.

"This is how you think you'll stay safe? If I can find you this easily, you're going to have a problem," he said. Angeal looked at him for a long moment. Barret glanced furiously at Tifa. Zack took a step forward. "Don't blame her. She didn't know I was following her."

"She knew a mile ago," the boy piped in. Zack glanced from the children to Tifa. She looked sheepishly at Barret. "She told me she wanted to see what you'd do."

"Puppy," Angeal greeted. Zack hugged Angeal tightly, and then looked at Tifa. Tifa shook her head and went behind the bar. Zack nodded to Barret and approached Tifa cautiously.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked her. Tifa glanced at him as she rearranged items on the bar and said nothing. "Why didn't you tell me that we had children?"  
"How do you know that they're not Angeal's kids?" she pondered. Zack glanced at Angeal, who looked at Tifa confusedly. Zack grinned.

"Because he wouldn't be looking at you like you lost your mind," Zack reasoned. He looked at the bar. "It makes me wonder why someone so bent on honor and dreams ran away from his job… and how he seems to be tied to the new revolution."

"There isn't any…" Tifa started. Zack held his hand up and then felt Angeal stand next to him. Angeal looked at the younger man for a long moment.

"Makes you wonder why someone hell bent on keeping a ludicrous tradition is here, looking for his soulmate," Angeal said. Zack nodded and Angeal looked at the twins. "We did what we had to do in order for them to be safe. You're here now, and she can explain most of the details… but, remember… you two need to work all this stuff out. Those kids deserve the best upbringing."

Tifa sighed. "Not now."

Zack and Angeal exchanged a glance. Talia and Silas regarded Zack curiously.

"Where's everyone else?" Zack questioned. Tifa shrugged and Barret made his leave. Angeal took the children into another room. "Why are you here in plain sight? Don't you know the bounty on your head? People could easily…"

"This neighborhood watches out for its own," Tifa said. She handed him a glass of water. "The people here are victims of Shinra's class system. We don't like outsiders, and we take care of each other no matter what happens. We've established our own sort of government here… and when Shinra starts sniffing around, we become alert. No one can surprise the people here."

"That's how you knew I was coming," Zack theorized. Tifa nodded. Zack shook his head. "Only you would find the anti Shinra neighborhood."

"I couldn't risk you or Sephiroth getting in trouble," she said. "No one… we were all so paranoid after the revolution ended. We didn't know who to trust. No one could tell us right from wrong. It…"

"Happened, and we're here now," Zack said. Tifa rolled her eyes at him and they considered each other for a long moment. Their gazes turned tender and Zack brought Tifa's hand to his lips. He kissed it softly. "I missed you."

"Same," Tifa responded. She brought his hand to her cheek. She touched it with the side of her lips and gave a gentle kiss. He grinned at her. She put his hand down and yanked her hand back. "Why are you here?"

"What if I told you I could leave, and join you right now?" he pondered. Tifa shook her head. "I… they're retiring me after my next mission. My knee's far too injured to sustain. They've got no use for me now."

Tifa stared at him for a long moment and then came over to him. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back. He felt her run her hands up and down his back. She squeezed him and he smiled into her throat. He felt her touch the middle of his back. She whispered, "I'm sorry, but I don't believe you."

He started to become droopy eyed. He looked at her questioningly. She eased him to the floor and smiled at him. "Don't worry. Nothing serious will happen while you're asleep."

Tifa stripped him of his gear and clothes down to his boxers. She was not surprised to find a GPS tracker in his system and she found the wire on his back. She signaled for Angeal and Barret to return to the room. Angeal looked at the hardware and shook his head. Barret disengaged it and threw them away.

"He couldn't help himself," Angeal stated. He looked sadly at Zack. "What are we going to do with him?"

"We don't know for sure if he was telling the truth or not. We have to get moving. They'll be here shortly if they figure out his tracker is down," Tifa told them. She called for Silas and Talia. They came in and saw Tifa gathering up supplies. Tifa looked around at her bar one last time. She nodded, and felt a surge of emotion run through her. "Take the kids. I'll handle him by myself."

"I'll watch them," Angeal told her. Tifa nodded her thanks and Angeal ushered the kids toward his car. They talked about what they would do with their vacation away from Tifa. Silas looked back at his mother and waved. Tifa winked and waved. "We can go see Uncle Cloud, Aunt Aerith and the three brats…"

"Four now," Tifa called out. Angeal scoffed and Tifa grinned widely. "I'll get in contact when it's safe."

"Take Marlene with you," Barret called out. "And Denzel."

Angeal nodded. He opened his car doors and the twins got inside. He saluted Tifa and Barret and set off.

Tifa looked at Zack for a long moment. "We could take him…"

"We need to get out of the city this time," Barret told her. "Or you do. I can hide, but you've got his cuteness to worry about."

Tifa nodded. She hauled him up and Barret carried him to the van. Tifa made sure that she left his weapons behind in the bar. She closed up the shop, took the different belongings that were important, and sat in the driver's seat.

Barret tied Zack up, with putting cuffs on, and then got in the passenger's side. Tifa sped out of the neighborhood. When they were out of Midgar, Tifa relaxed a little. Barret was looking at the paper map. He pointed in the direction that he wanted to go. "We can try going to Gold Saucer?"

"No, we'd be spotted immediately," Tifa told him. She looked at the gas tank. "We have to stay on the continent right now…. because we don't have enough supplies."

"I know a guy…" Barret pointed to Junon. Tifa sighed, but she gave a nod. She drove their quickly, and Barret found his contact person. They made it to a local apartment. Tifa unloaded Zack secretly and then ditched the car. When she got into the apartment, he was slowly waking up.

He looked at her bewildered. Tifa climbed on top of him and they stared each other right in the eye for long moments. He grinned at her. "You figured it out, huh? Good, now we can talk privately."

He broke free of the cuffs and brought her closer to him. He kissed her softly and she shoved him back. Tifa looked down at him as he ran his hands up and down her hips. "What do you mean?"

"They've had these ridiculous regulations for our uniforms, where they want all the information about what we're doing and they've been recording everything for the past six months. When we're out of the building, they turn the audio chips on and the trackers. Sephiroth warned me when I left." Zack pulled her down until their lips were only a few inches apart. "When you showed up… you accelerated my plans."

Tifa stared at him questioningly. He held out his hand, which had a long scar in the center. She held up her opposite, which had a similar scar. There was a bullet hole scar in the center of their palms, and he brought it to his hand. She looked down and he kissed her scar. "I… I couldn't save you that day."

"It wasn't the right time," he muttered. "I needed to make sure you were safe. When… I was so surprised today. You were here, looking like a hellbent woman and…"

She kissed him.

* * *

 _Ten years ago…_

 _The revolution was happening. He warned her minutes before it started, and ushered her down the stairs. They'd been living together for a year, but they were from different social classes, under the new Shinra law. Angeal forewarned them of the Turks checking every building… and he wanted her safe._

 _They ran through alleyways, cut through side streets, and almost made it to Sector Seven. Tseng found them, and held a gun to them. Zack stood in front of her, and then he saw a waterway. He looked at her, smiled sadly, and attempted to throw her over into the water._

 _Before their hands separated, Tseng shot their hands and shot Zack in the shoulder. Zack cried out and dropped Tifa against the wall. Tifa slid down… she screamed with all her might, but the water choked the air out of her._

* * *

Tifa sat up, stumbled off the bed. She glared at him. "What…?"

Her world started to blink and then it went black.

She woke up in a green tinted room. She blinked her eyes a few times and heard something creak. She flexed her fingers, felt the numbing sensation, and slowly worked every joint to see if she was as slow as she thought. Whatever she'd been given, her reflexes were shot.

She knew three things. She was in a chair. Her wrists and ankles were tied to said chair. And she wanted a gigantic glass of water.

She heard huge footsteps echo in the small room. They came to her and she opened her eyes. Vincent stood in front of her, with his arms crossed and his billowing red cape clashing with the green tint of the room.

"Tifa Lockhart," Vincent greeted. Tifa raised an eyebrow. Vincent looked around the room, and stopped on something behind her for a long period of time. Tifa assumed that her guard, watchdog, whatever the hell they called them now, was standing there. Vincent refocused on her. "Why are you here?"

"I have no idea," Tifa said. She felt her ropes dig. Tifa angled her head and looked at Vincent. "Revolution's been bad business for you. Who would've thought that you'd get wrinkles on your forehead?"

Vincent knelt before her. "Every Shinra agent is looking for you. Why are you here?"

"I have no idea," Tifa repeated. The ropes tightened. "Tell whoever is tightening those ropes that if they tighten them one more time, I'm going to break their nose and jaw."

The ropes tightened. Tifa threw her weight back and broke the chair. She took the rope edges and threw the person against the wall. She delivered two quick jabs before Vincent stunned her. She smiled as she heard the person groan. She'd heard the cracks.

She woke up in a cell this time, with steel bars around her. Tifa looked around and wondered where she was this time. She imagined the ways she would kill Zack Fair when she got her hands on him.

Tifa closed her eyes and prayed that her children were safe. She knew Cloud and Aerith would do whatever it took, but… her children were her center. Their father, on the other hand, was currently the bane of her existence. He was the love of her life. Nothing… he wouldn't know what hit him.

Someone approached her cell. She looked from the bed and saw Yuffie standing on the other side. Tifa blinked a few times. Yuffie smiled at her. "I'm really surprised to see you here… without Silas and Talia."

"The person who escorted me here didn't tell me why I was here," Tifa told Yuffie. Yuffie smiled and Tifa laughed. "Seriously? Why couldn't you do this the convenient way?"

"Appearances to keep," Yuffie chuckled. She hit the cell door and it opened. Tifa got off the bed, and Yuffie hugged her tightly. "Besides I wanted to… see who you punched in the face."

"Who did I get?" Tifa asked. Yuffie chuckled and they walked to the end of the hallway. "Never mind, then. Where are we? What am I doing in revolutionary headquarters? I dropped out a long time ago, Yuffie. I told you I didn't want back in."

Yuffie led her to a room with a big table, that overlooked Wuntai. Tifa blinked a few times as she saw the people around the table. Cloud and Aerith were at one end of the table, with her children. She took a step forward, with her fist clenched. Someone stepped in front of her and put hands on her shoulders. She smelled the familiar scent.

She heard his whisper in her ear. "They're here because it wasn't safe where Cloud was. They've been waiting for two days to see you. We had to make sure all the chemicals Shinra injected you with left your system."

Tifa felt a tear run down her cheek. She put her face in his neck and breathed him in. "You're really here."

"So are you," he whispered. She felt his arms run down her shoulders, back and then loop around her waist. "I told you I would come when it was safe."

"It wasn't, though," she growled. "They were at risk."

"They're always at risk," he whispered back. She rolled her eyes. "The revolution is over, Teef. Everyone got out safe. We can rebuild our lives again."

Tifa looked at her old comrades. Cid sat next to Vincent, idly talking about local places. Barret stood with Marlene and Denzel, looking at the village. Yuffie was next to Tifa and Zack, rubbing Tifa's shoulders. Their children still hadn't noticed Tifa walk into the room.

Silas looked up and ran toward her and Zack. He hugged them on their free side and Yuffie took a step back. Talia tackled them from the other side, with tears running down her face. "I'm sorry, Mom! I won't do anything bad ever again!"

"Don't promise anything… you're not a teenager yet," Tifa said. Talia nodded and pushed her father out of the way. She hugged her mother tightly and Tifa kissed Talia's head. Tifa looked at Zack. "How did you know?"

"When you insisted that the kids didn't need to know who I was," he stated. Tifa nodded. He had known, but didn't allow himself time to emotionally react because he had been deep undercover at the time. She'd been two months pregnant when they'd been caught, and he didn't want to blow her hideout or secret identity because of his muddled memories.

"I… never realized," Tifa told him. "I don't know when they could have…"

Zack shrugged. "We're both detoxed from their chemicals. We're safe. Barret's tech is free of any bugs and we can start our lives again."

The twins looked at the couple and Silas shoved his sister away from their mother. He hugged her tightly. "I love you."

"I love you two, both of you," Tifa whispered. She hugged the twins closely and Zack smiled.

* * *

 _*Nine years seven months ago*_

 _He stood in the delivery waiting room, shaken anew as he heard her screams. He flinched whenever he heard that sound. Sephiroth paced with him, and Angeal sat in one of the chairs. Zack looked at his former mentors and breathed when he heard her scream end._

 _"How long is it going to be?" he muttered. Angeal smiled as he flipped through a magazine. "Shut up, Angeal."_

 _"You're not helping," Sephiroth added as he paced. Angeal chuckled._

 _"The two of you look like you're a wreck," Yuffie proclaimed as the door to the delivery room opened. Zack approached quickly, but Yuffie put a hand up. "She had twins. A boy and a girl. What do you want their names to be?"_

 _He looked at Angeal and Sephiroth. Sephiroth gazed at Yuffie icily. "Why can't we see her?"_

 _"They know you all are gone," Yuffie told them. "We only have a half an hour, and she's too weak for a spell to make her forget."_

 _"Silas and Talia," Zack whispered. Yuffie nodded. Before she closed the door, he touched her shoulder. "Tell her I love her."_

 _Yuffie nodded as she rushed back into the delivery room._

 _He never saw his children, and never remembered that he named them._

* * *

Aerith looked at the reunited couple, then at Cloud. He smiled lovingly at her. She looked down at her hands and smiled. "I think it's time we restored their memories."

Cloud helped Aerith walk up to the family. She placed her hands on Tifa and Zack. Materia glowed. Zack and Tifa closed their eyes, and when they opened, both of them had tears. Aerith smiled. "I promised you I would help protect them, and I have. Please forgive me."

"We would've done the same thing," Tifa told her. She hugged Zack tightly. He kissed her cheek and lifted her off the ground. Tifa smiled and laughed into his neck. "I have missed you."

Zack swung her around and kissed her soundly. "We've got the rest of our lives."

 _ **A/N: Aw, who doesn't like a story with a happy ending?**_


End file.
